Released in 2011, the Ambos Mundos Short No.1 Habano is an extension of the already popular Pete Johnson line. Ambos Mundos meaning “both worlds” is a blending of Nicaraguan binder and fillers with an Ecuadorian wrapper. Ambos Mundos cigars are produced by Pepin Garcia and are considered Johnson’s value-priced line. The full Ambos Mundos portfolio consists of eight different sizes/blends, although the official website shows only six sizes (have the Shorts been discontinued?). They are as follows:

Short No. 1 Habano 4 1/2 x 46

Short No. 2 Sumatra 4 1/2 x 46

Robusto No. 1 Habano 5 x 50

Robusto No. 2 Sumatra 5 x 50

Toro No. 1 Habano 6 x 50

Toro No. 2 Sumatra 6 x 50

Grande No. 1 Habano 5 1/2 x 56

Grande No. 2 Sumatra 5 1/2 x 56

On to the review…

The pre-light ritual for the Ambos Mundos Short No. 1 was just under perfect. The cigar wore a nice light brown wrapper with minimal veins. The cap was double seam and perfectly round. The foot of the cigar was completely jam packed full of tobacco and the sweet smell of tobacco and honey was present. The band was simplistic and did the job for this cigar (no need to be overly fancy on this size cigar). The cold draw gave in to tastes of a woodsy, spicy mix with the perfect resistance.

Pre-light score: 9 pts.

The opening of my Ambos Mundos Short No. 1 was wonderfully smooth with leathery, pepper flavors. The cigar was full bodied right out of the gate with tons of thick white creamy smoke. Burn was proving to be nice and even with a flaky ghost white ash, however the most intriguing thing was the cigar’s aroma. A nice musty antique book, that was put on a shelf and not opened for 30 years was spot on to the aroma of this cigar, and I very much enjoyed it!

Into the second third the burn continued to be solid with the aroma still remaining amazingly euphoric. The flavor profile of the cigar continued to be leathery however the pepper dissipated with woody notes now coming through on the palate.

The final third of my Ambos Mundos Short No. 1 did not disappoint. The cigar moved back in body to the medium/full range and prepared for a finish that showed tastes of hickory smoked wood and a little dryness. The burn and aroma remained fantastic throughout the entire smoking experience and the draw spot on.

Smoking score: 9 pts.

For this cigar to be a “value priced line” cigar it was absolutely amazing. Not an abundance of complexity present however the Ambos Mundos Short No. 1 was certainly a solid smoke with the performance (burn), draw, and aroma being top notch. If you’re looking for a quick afternoon or evening smoke this would be a great choice! At this quality and price point I will certainly be buying a box of these in the future. I highly recommend this cigar to all aficionados!